Cheese-cutter.



C. M. WRIGHT. CHEESE CUTTER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17, 1907.

' Patented Jan 19, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Rs ca WASHINGTON, 04 c4 C. M. WRIGHT. CHEESE CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1901.

91 0,443 Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

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All-I5 'lllllllllllllllllllm ATTORNEY +1: Mamas PETERS co., wnsnmcmu, a c.

C. M. WRIGHT.

GHEESE CUTTER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1907.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

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UNITE srnrns Parana QFFILOE.

CHARLES M. WRIGHT, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO ALFRED L. REED AND ONE-THIRD TOTHOMAS S. GETTLE, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909 Application filed January 17, 1907. Serial No. 352,760.

110 (222 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Anderson, in the county of Madison and 1 State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cheese-Cutters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improved mechanism for controlling the actuating mechanism of the revoluble table of cheese-cutters to impart a regular movement to said tables, and it consists in the mechanism hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and accurate means whereby the motion of the actuating lever may be adjusted and the amount of rotation or movement of the cheese-carrying-table of the apparatus may be controlled to move equal and unvarying fractions or portions of a revolution corresponding to any particular setting or adjustment of the means whereby the actuatingdever is controlled to divide a cheese into equal portions, and to provide a means whereby the momentum of the cheesecarrying-table may be arrested instantaneously at the termination of each fractional rotation of said table. I attain these objects by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1. is a perspective view of a cheese cutter embodying my invention; Fig. 2. is a detail broken perspective view of a portion of the base of the apparatus showing the setting lever thereof; Fig. 3. is a plan view of the apparatus showing the cheese-carrying-table and the cheese-cutting knife removed in order to exhibit the actuating mechanism of said cheesecarrying-table; Fig. i. is a sectional view of the same taken along the line A. B. in Fig. 3.; Fig. 5. is a view similar to that of Fig. 3. showing the cheese-carrying-table and its supportingframe removed to exhibit the mechanism of the actuating lever and the manner of setting the controlling mechanism thereof whereby a cheese may be out into portions of a desired weight and value; Fig. 6. is an enlarged detail view of the actuating-lever of the apparatus showing the friction-clutch arms or grips thereof; Fig. 7. is an enlarged detail longitudinal sectional view of the ballbearing-nut of the setting-screw and its socket, and taken along the line C. D. in Fig. 5.; Fig. 8. is a detail side view of the locking-bar of the actuating-lever whereby the momentum of the revolving cheesecarrying-table is arrested, and looking in the direction of the arrow a in Fig. 3. Fig. 9. is a similar view of said locking-bar looking in the direction of the arrow 6 in Fig. 3. and; Fig. 10. is a detail perspective view of the setting-lever.

The base-frame is composed of the ring 1, the radially extending arms 2 and 3, and the supporting feet 4. A boss 5 is formed integral with the arms 2 and 3 and is situated centrally of the ring 1 and said boss is provided with a central bore into which the depending center-pin 6 of the table-frame is fitted to revolve. The table-supporting frame is composed of the rim 7, the arms 8, and the center boss 9, all of which are preferably formed in one integral piece. Another boss 10 is situated between the upper boss 9 and the depending-center-pin 6, all of which bosses and center-pin are on the same axis or center, and said intermediate 's 10 is turned on its outer peripheral surface to form a smooth bearing for the actuating lever ll which latter carries the friction clutch-arms for operating the cheesecarrying-table.

The boss 10 is sligh ly larger than the center-pin 6 to form a bearing-shoulder which rests upon the top-surface of the boss 5 to assist in supporting the cheese-carryingtable, its frame, and the cheese placed upon said table. This shoulder also prevents a binding of the actuating lever 11 between the tableframe-boss 5 and the boss 9 of the table-supporting-frame base. The depending-flange or lower rim 12 of the table-frame is turned truly on its inner and outer peripheral surfaces and to a uniform thickness so that it will be the more readily engaged or gripped by the clutch-arms of the actuating lever 11 and also for the purpose of making said rim 1?. concentric with the axis of the center-pin 6. The bottom edge of the depending-flange or rim 12 is turned truly to rest and to rub upon its supportingblocks 13 which are formed integral on the arms 2 of the frame-base, which blocks are provided not only for the purpose of supporting and steadying the cheese-table and its supporting-frame, but also to operate as a brake for preventing the too free movement of the cheese-carrying-frame and its table.

The pressure of the rim 12 upon the supporting-blocks 13 varies directly in proportion to the load placed upon the cheese-carrying-table and consequently the brake power of said blocks 13 varies in the same proportion, that is to say, when the load on the revoluble cheese-carrying-table is light the bearing pressure of the rim 12 upon the supporting-blocks 13 is light and the brak ing force is light in the same proportion, and when the load on the said table is increased the bearing pressure of said rim 12 upon said supporting blocks 13 is increased in the same proportion and the braking force is likewise increased in the same proportion. The actuating-lever 11 is provided with a boss 14 which is situated about the center of the length of the lever and said boss is bored to fit on the turned boss 10 previously described. Friction clutch-arms 15 are pivotally mounted on the top side of the actuating lever 11 by their pivotal pins 16 which latter are so situated on said lever that the said clutch-arms will each be at a slight angle with a radial line extending from the point of contact of the engaging end of the clutch-arm with the inner surface of the rim 12, so that the engaging or gripping ends of said clutch-arms 15 may the more readily engage the turned inner surface or periphery of the depending flange or rim 12 to rotate the table-frame a desired portion of a revolution in one direction only, that is, from left to right, with each oscillation of said actuating-lever 11.

Clutch-arm retaining-springs 17 are secured on the top side of the actuating-lever 11 in position thereon to press freely against said clutch-arms 15 to maintain their engaging ends in constant contact with the depending-flange or rim 12.

A clutch or retaining-cam 18, for retaining said depending flange or rim 12 and preventing a backward movement of the cheesecarrying-table while the actuating-lever 11 is being reversed or moved from right to left, as will be hereinafter described is pivotally mounted on the top side of one of the brake blocks 13 in such a position thereon as to contact with the outer peripheral surface of the depending flange or rim 12. Gpposite said cam 18 and on the inner side of the depending flange or rim 12 is situated on one of the arms 2 of the base frame, a clutch arm 18 which is pivoted on a pin 19 in such position that its gripping or contacting end will engage the inner turned peripheral surface of said depending flange or rim. A tension coil-spring 20 is connected at one end to the spring-arm 21 of the retaining-cam 18, and at its other end to the spring arm 22 secured to the clutch-arm 18 so that both said inside clutch-arm and said outside retaining-cam are brought simultaneously into and maintained in contact with said depending flange or rim 12 to prevent it rotating in a direction from right to left.

The setting-lever 23, whereby the necessary throw or motion of the actuating-lever 11 is controlled to revolve the cheese-carryingtable a certain fractional distance or portion of a revolution, to revolve a cheese under the edge of the cutting-knife by that quantity that is to be out 01f the cheese, is pivotally mounted at one end to the arm 3 near the center of the supporting-frame by a pin 24:, and said setting-lever 23 is of such a length that its swinging end will extend beyond the front projecting portion 38 of the ring 1 of the base-frame so that its handle or outer end will sweep over the face of the value scale 25. A stop or setting-pin 26 is situated on said setting-lever 23 some distance in advance of the pin 24- and is of a length sufficient to project above the top side of said setting-lever and into the plane of the sweep of the actuating-lever 11.

The settinglever 23 is adjusted to any of the graduations of the value scale 25 by means of mechanism which I will now proceed to describe. -The-reach-rod 28 is screwthreaded at one end and on its opposite end is provided a fork 29 which is adapted to receive the setting-lever 23 to be pivotal-1y connected thereto by the connecting-pin 30. The ball-bearing 31 is provided with a neck portion 31 on the end of which is secured a thumb-grip 27 whereby the said ball-bearing 31 may be readily turned or revolved in its socket hearing. The ball-bearing 31 is turned in the form of a sphere and fitted into and adapted to turn in its socket-bearing 32 formed integral on the ring 1, and said ballbearing is retained in said socket-bearing 32 by aretaining-cap 33 which latter is screwed into the threaded bore 34: till. its concave bearing end contacts with the surface of the ball-bearing in such a way as not to clamp the latter in its socket hearing, but permit it to freely rotate to screw or unscrew the reach-rod 28 to move or swing the settinglever 23 either to the rightor to the left to control the motion of the actuating-lever 11.

The value scale is graduated or divided into divisions which are indicated by num bers representing certain specific values and these numbers ascend or increase in value from left to right, to accord with the setting mechanism whereby the actuating lever is controlled.

The direct value scale 25 is made in the form of an arc of a circle and is situated to encircle a portion of the outer periphery of the ring 1 of the base-frame to which it is permanently secured in position to be within the scope of the sweep of the end portion of the setting-lever 23 The scale 25 is also situated so that its graduated face will be in close proximity to the edge of the swinging end of the setting-lever 23 or the said lever may rub on the graduated face of said scale so that the said setting-lever 23 may be the more accurately adjusted to a certain or required value represented on the face of the scale.

The scale 25 is graduated in ascending values or in graduations the numerical values of which increase from left to right; so that if a cheese weighing two pounds is placed upon the revoluble cheese-carrying-table of the machine, the settinglever 23 may be set to that graduation designated by that figure representing the value of a two pound cheese and if this size of a cheese were replaced by a cheese weighing five pounds, the settinglever 23 would be moved and adjusted to that graduation on the scale 25 designated by that figure representing the value of a five pound cheese, in order that a portion of the cheese be cut off that will be equal in value to the portion cut off the smaller cheese.

The actuating lever 11 is provided with a cranked-handle-end-portion 36 and is arranged to extend over and bear upon the supporting-bar 27 which latter is provided with the end supporting-feet 37 whereby it is supported in position upon the top side of the front projecting portion 38 of the ring 1 of the frame-base, and said bearing or supporting-bar 37 operates as a support for the free cranked end-portion of said actuating lever 11.

A locking-bar 39 by which the play of the actuating-lever 11 is limited in one direction to a constant fixed stopping point and whereby the momentum of the revoluble cheese-carrying-table and its supporting frame is instantaneously arrested, is of an L-form, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, and in detail in Figs. 8 and 9. One leg of said clutch-bar is provided with a slot 40 through which a cap-screw 41 is passed'whereby said locking-bar 39 is pivotally connected to the top side of the ring 1 of the base-frame. By means of the slot 40 the requisite amount of play of the locking-bar 39 is provided to insure the proper workin of said lockingbar. The other leg of said locking-bar extends over the top side of that end of the actuating-lever 11 opposite its cranked end, so that the depending stops or fingers 42 extend over the edges of the lever 11 to fix or limit the throw or oscillation of said actuating-lever and on the other slotted leg of said locking-bar are situated to project upwardly from the top side thereof, the gripping fingers 43 between which the depending flange or rim 12 of the table frame is situated, so that, when the actuating lever 11 is swung or oscillated to its extreme end of travel or sweep, whether set for a shorter or a longer stroke, the grip-pins or fingers 43 engage the depending flange or rim 12 at that point of the oscillation and thereby prevent a further rotation of the revoluble cheesecarrying-table and the parts connected thereto, and further, no motion can be imparted to said table to move or rotate it in a backwardly direction till such times as the rim 12 of the table frame is released which is accomplished by moving the actuating-lever 11 to cause the fingers 43 to disengage said mm.

A standard 44 is situated on that side of the frame base opposite the value scale 25 and terminates in a hinge fork 45 between the bifurcations of which the hinged end 46 of the knife lever 47 is pivoted by a hingepin 48. The cheese cutting-knife 49 is removably secured to said knife-lever 47 by the knife-securing bolts 50, as shown particularly in Fig. 1.

The retaining or tie-bolt 51 passes through the center bore of the boss 10, the pin 6 and the boss 5 of the supporting-frame of the cheese-carrying-table and said retaining or tie-bolt 51 is provided for the purpose of retaining the cheese supporting-table-frame securely in position on its supporting baseframe.

The table 52 is of a disk-form and may be of wood secured centrally upon the tablesupporting frame.

To set the setting lever 23 to limit the throw of the actuating-lever 11, that is, to fix the rotation of the cheese-supportingtable 52 to any desired fraction of a rotation or cycle corresponding to a required value or portion of cheese to be cut from a cheese, one proceeds as follows :The cheese to be divided into portions is first weighed to ascertain its total value. This value having been ascertained, the setting lever 23 is moved till its beveled edge 23 is set to the graduation designating the total value of the cheese to be divided into portions having a certain fixed value. Then multiples of this value are required the actuating-lever 11 is oscillated the required number of times to make the total value of the portions.

The operator moves the actuating-lever 11 first toward the left till the inner contacting edge of'the gap 13 contacts with the stop-pin 26 and arrests the actuatingdever 11 to prevent its further motion in that direction. The operator next moves said actuating-lever 11 in the opposite direction its full extent, that is to say, he moves or swings the actuating-lever 11 toward the right to revolve the cheese-carrying-table to move the required portion of the cheese beyond the cutting edge of the cheese-cuttingknife that is required to be severed from said cheese, and this motion of the actuating-lever 11, when moved its full extent or throw, is arrested by the locking-bar 39 which prevents any further motion of said actuating-lever 11 and arrests, at the same time, the motion of the cheese-carryingtable. The cheesecutting-knife is now brought down with its cutting-edge against the cheese and the required portion of the desired weight is severed from the cheese.

I claim 1. In a device for cutting cheese into portions of a predetermined value. the combination with a knife, a cheesecarrying-table, and an actuatinglever, of a stop, a settinglever carrying said stop, a value indicating means, and means whereby said setting-lever is positively operated and adjusted to set said stop.

2. In a device for cutting cheese into portions of predetermined values, the combination with a knife, a cheese-carrying-table, and an actuating-lever, of a stop, a settinglever carrying said stop, a value indicating scale situated so that 1ts graduated face is adjacent to the swinging end of said setting-lever, a stationary revoluble screw-nut, a reach-rod connected to said screw-nut at one end and to said setting-lever at its other end whereby said setting-lever is accurately and positively adjusted to a predetermined value on said scale.

3. In a device for cutting cheese into portions of predetermined values, the combination with a knife, a cheese-carrying-table, and an actuating-lever, of a stop, a setting lever carrying said stop, a value scale, a ballbearing screw-nut, thumb -lugs on said screw-nut, a reach-rod screwed into said ball bearing screw-nut at one of its ends, said rod having its opposite end pivotally connected to said setting-lever whereby the latter is accurately and positively moved and adjusted to a graduation on said scale representing the value of the portion to be severed from the cheese.

4. In a device for cutting cheese into portions of predetermined values, the combina-' tion with a knife, a cheese-cutting-table, and an actuating-lever, of a locking-bar pivoted at one end to a fixed pin, engaging fingers depending from the under side of said bar and situated to extend over each edge of the actuating-lever and engaging fingers projecting upwardly from the top side of said bar and situated so as to simultaneously engage the cheese-carrying-table and the actuating-lever at the end of the oscillation of the latter to stop its movement and the cheese-carryingtable.

5. In a device for cutting cheese into portions of predetermined values, the combination with a knife, a cheese-carrying-table having a depending flange or rim, and an actuating-lever, of a locking-bar formed of two integral legs situated at right angles to each other, one of which is provided with a longitudinally extending pivotal pin opening or slot, a fixed pivot-pin passing through said slot, fingers extending from the top side of said slotted angle leg to engage said flange or rim of said table, and fingers depending from the under side of the other angle leg to embrace the oscillating end of said actuating-lever simultaneously with the engagement of said rim.

6. In a device for cutting cheese into portions of predetermined values, the combination with a knife, a cheese-carrying-table having a depending flange or rim, and an actuating-lever, of a locking-bar formed of two integral legs situated relatively to each other to form a right angle, oneleg of which is provided with a longitudinally extending oblong slot, the other situated to extend over an oscillating portion of said actuating-lever, a fixed pivot-pin passing through said slot, fingers extending from the top side of said slotted angle leg to engage said flange or rim and fingers depending from the under side of the other angle leg to embrace the oscillating end of said actuatinglever over which the latter angle leg extends, said fingers of said locking-bar so situated that they operate to simultaneously engage said depending flange or rim, and said actuating-lever when the latter has terminated its stroke.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES M. WRIGHT.

IVit'nesses DANIEL L. BOLAND, MARGARET OWENS. 

